The present invention relates generally to a secondary containment apparatus for storing primary containers and, more particularly, to a secondary containment apparatus which entraps accidental spillage from the primary container, which provides facile loading of the primary container, which completely encloses the primary container and which may be easily transported from place to place.
Our industrial society produces and uses enormous quantities of environmentally hazardous materials which must be stored, transported and disposed of in a safe manner. As a result, government agencies have set forth numerous regulations governing the handling of such materials. A key component in the regulatory scheme for safely handling such materials is the use of secondary containment units to entrap any leakage or spillage from primary storage containers, such as large drums, before the hazardous materials can pollute the surrounding environment.
Various secondary containment units are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,683, for example, is directed to a secondary containment unit having a base member and two interlocking lid members for storing one or more primary containers. The two lid members are slidably mounted on the base member such that they interlock substantially in the middle of the base member. Thus, the lid members are forced apart to allow access to the interior of the unit and locked together to completely enclose the primary container. The base member is equipped with legs to facilitate transport of the unit by a forklift or the like. Additionally, wheels or casters may be provided on the base member for moving the unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,232 discloses a secondary containment unit for storing large drums wherein the unit is comprised of pan and a removable lid which fits over the pan. The lid simply rests on top of the pan with the sides of the lid extending over the pan edges. Consequently, the lid must be completely removed before the enclosed drums can be removed. In addition, a gasket must be transposed between the lid and the pan to seal against overflow material and environmental elements.
In the aforementioned secondary containment units, the primary container must be manually or with a separate mechanized device be loaded into the unit. This operation may foreseeably result in employee fatigue and dissatisfaction in manually loading the container or in the purchase, maintenance and storage of expensive mechanized lifting devices.
Thus, there is a need for a secondary containment unit for storing a primary container which provides facile loading of the primary container into the unit, which completely encloses the primary container and which may be easily transported.